Becky Grossman’s campaign announced that four of her colleagues on the Newton City Council and a member of the Newton School Committee have endorsed her campaign for Congress. Grossman’s endorsers include:
City Councilor David Kalis
City Councilor Lisle Baker
City Councilor Josh Krintzman
City Councilor and former Council President Marc Laredo
School Committee Member Kathy Shields
Their endorsements come on the heels of two prominent Newton leaders, State Representatives Kay Khan and Ruth Balser, throwing their support behind Grossman’s bid to replace Joe Kennedy in the 4th Congressional District.
“Throughout my tenure on the City Council, I’ve strived to work collaboratively with all of my colleagues,” said Grossman. “I’m proud to earn the endorsement of these distinguished Newton leaders.”
Beyond Newton, Grossman has earned the support of a slate of local officials across the District. Her supporters include State Senator Michael Rodrigues from Fall River, State Representative Lou Kafka from Sharon, and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan.
She lost my vote the moment she voted yes on the Northland special permit – despite not having said 2 words about it in the months leading up to the vote.
I guess this is sort of a decent start for Becky at gathering endorsements, even when you realize that a number of those endorsements surely have something to do with the officeholder’s ties to Becky’s father-in-law Steve Grossman, but this is nowhere close to the number of endorsements Jake Auchincloss has gathered thus far. That’s because those without connections to Steve Grossman know that Jake is far and away the best candidate in this race. Check out Jake’s far more comprehensive list of endorsements from Newton elected officials:
Susan Albright, President-elect of the City Council
Rick Lipof, Vice President-elect of the City Council
Ruth Goldman, Chair of the School Committee
Steve Siegel, Vice Chair of the School Committee
Bridget Ray-Canada, Vice Chair-elect of the School Committee
Alicia Bowman, Councilor at-Large-elect
Deb Crossley, Councilor at-Large
Vicki Danberg, Councilor at-Large
Andreae Downs, Councilor at-Large
Maria Greenberg, Ward Councilor
Andrea Kelley, Councilor at-Large
Alison Leary, Councilor at-Large
Gerry – Why do you chalk up Becky’s endorsements and fund raising prowess to her father-in-law? It seems to me that you’re undervaluing the hard work she has put in to date. I like Jake, but by your logic it would be fair to tie his endorsements and fund raising success to his mother, the CEO of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Come on, George, let’s be honest. Jake has built a demonstrated record of accomplishment during his tenure on the Council. Becky has not. I’m sure that’s why far more of their colleagues have endorsed him rather than her. But it’s impossible to ignore her father-in-law when discussing endorsements/fundraising because as a former DNC head fundraising honcho, a former statewide officeholder, and a longtime contributor/fundraiser in many MA political campaigns, he has built longstanding relationships with many politicians across the state. Do you really think Fall River state Sen. Mike Rodrigues would have endorsed Becky so quickly had he not had a close relationship with her father-in-law? Not a chance. As for Jake’s mother, kudos to her, she undoubtedly raises lots of money for Dana Farber, but that’s a life-saving endeavor, not a political one. Good try, but clearly the comparison doesn’t hold. If, as you say, you like Jake, check out his record vs Becky’s. You’ll find that there’s no comparison on that score, either.
Gerry — If you’re going to discount Becky’s endorsements and cite her father-in-law as the reason for them, I think you’re turning a blind eye to the possibility that Jake’s family has also benefited him in this race thus far. Isn’t it possible that the Boston Globe / Red Sox / Dana Farber connections/relationships resulted in the positive Kevin Cullen column about Jake? Isn’t it possible that business leaders’ connections to Dana Farber has resulted in good fund raising numbers for him. I think you have a blind spot for Jake’s candidacy, and you’re discounting the independence of those leaders that endorsed Becky. Do you believe that Newton Reps. Kay Kahn and Ruth Balser endorsed Becky because of her ties to Steve Grossman? I simply can’t believe that, given the independence of those two strong women. To me, more endorsements does not mean one is a better candidate, and the fact that Becky received endorsement from some of counselors I really respect (e.g. Former President Laredo and President Emeritus Baker) is compelling to me.
You may not believe this but I am undecided in this race. There’s not much difference in policy between any of the 6, 7 or 8 candidates. Nevertheless, I saw Becky speak at a house party and was duly impressed. I like her background in law and I like her campaign to elect a mom to Congress. I hope to see Jake at an upcoming event and I’m sure I’ll be in a position to cast an informed vote in September.